ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | JULY 6, 2017 Fight in East Columbus ends with a gunshot No one hurt in lunchtime scuffle at United Deli Columbus BY ISABELLE ALTMAN Police Depart- side the store — had been harmed during ment officers [email protected] the shooting, which ended a fight that had tape off the been escalating in the parking lot by the parking lot at When a single gunshot rang out in the gas pumps for several minutes. United Deli in parking lot outside United Deli on Gard- “It’s not good for business,” Musa said Columbus after ner Boulevard in East Columbus Wednes- later. an altercation day, customers eating lunch inside rushed The shooting happened at about noon. in the parking to the back of the store and John Musa, The deli was crowded with lunchtime lot led to a shot being fired the owner and operator, ran out from be- customers and Musa said he had been Wednesday. No hind the counter and locked the doors. keeping one eye on the security footage one was hit in Neither the shooter nor the victim — as he took orders behind the counter. He the shooting. nor any of the handful of witnesses out- See SHOOTING, 5A Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff CHECK OUT THESE WHEELS EMCC borrows $13M on behalf of counties without final approval LINK, supes caught off guard by May issuance of Communiversity funding BY ALEX HOLLOWAY [email protected] East Mississippi Community College may have issued bonds for local fund- ing for the Commu- niversity without the proper authorization resolutions in place. Golden Triangle Higgins Development LINK CEO Joe Max Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Higgins told Lowndes County su- Six-year-old twin sisters Jessica Stone, left, and Jennifer Stone put on their skates at Skate Zone in Columbus on Wednes- day. “We like to play this one game and get enough tickets for the tiny dinosaur prizes,” Jessica said. The girls are a part of pervisors at their regular meeting the Extended Day Plus Summer program in Starkville and go on many adventures during the weekdays including the movie on Wednesday that he found out theater and swimming at Slip-n-Dip. The girls’ parents are Dwayne and Tonya Stone of Starkville. late last week the community col- lege issued bonds for the project in May. The LINK — the contract- ed economic development firm for Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay counties — was in the process of Caledonia aldermen appoint commissioners for election gathering resolutions from each county to move forward with the is- commissioners and a poll worker for the Only Darnell and Parham are run- suance of the $13.5 million in local Board also approves using upcoming municipal election and ap- ning for re-election to the board of al- funding for the project. proving a motion to end the use of paper dermen, while Wiggins is challenging EMCC will operate the Commu- voting machines for future ballots for future municipal elections. Lawrence for the mayor’s office. niversity, which is currently under elections The meeting, led by mayor Bill The meeting was necessary to ap- construction on Highway 82 just Lawrence, with aldermen Bill Darnell, point election commissioners, whose west of PACCAR, as a advanced BY SLIM SMITH Quinn Parham, Mitch Wiggins and terms also expire after four years, for manufacturing training hub tai- [email protected] Brenda Willis, met for the last time the July 18 election. lored specifically toward area in- (Alderman Steve Honnoll was not pres- “We have three people who are qual- dustries. Lowndes County is con- The Caledonia Board of Aldermen ent) after the town’s June 8 election ified and have agreed to serve,” Law- tributing $10 million to the project, held its second “last” meeting with the was thrown out and a new election was rence told the aldermen. “The ones we Oktibbeha County is contributing current make-up Wednesday, selecting scheduled for July 18. See CALEDONIA, 5A See COMMUNIVERSITY, 8A Bottle rockets set fire to railroad trestle over Tombigbee manages the tracks, re- parked their engines just train that stopped be- works this year, said Pub- Track out of service for about an hour ported the fire at about north of the tracks on fore reaching the bridge. lic Information Officer BY ISABELLE ALTMAN of the railroad in the mid- 2 p.m., though Assistant Second Street South and Then, firefighters worked Anthony Colom, though [email protected] dle of Old River Bridge Fire Chief Duane Hughes carefully picked their way for several minutes from in past years when there’s over the Tombigbee Riv- of Columbus Fire and along the crossties out atop the bridge suppress- been less rain during A bottle rocket, ap- er. Rescue said the fire had over the bridge. ing the flames. holidays like July 4, fire- parently left over night, Maintenance workers likely been burning for They had to turn back, No one was injured, fighters have responded caused a fire Wednesday with Alabama Southern hours. CFR firefighters however, as dispatchers and it was the only call to as many as a dozen fire- afternoon on the trestles Railroad Company, which responded to the scene, warned of an oncoming CFR received about fire- See FIRE, 5A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 For which London football club did parade at 8 a.m., visit by the MEETINGS Friday Army Corps of Engineers, July 11: Lown- Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Bobby ■ Black and White Ball: Moore play? MUW’s Project CHEW, kids’ des County This annual event supporting 2 What is the capital city of Alaska? crafts, fresh produce, arts. School District 3 Which Simon & Garfunkel track National Night Out on Crime ■ Puppy Foam Party: 4 Board of Trust- is about a middle aged alcoholic and Columbus’ city-wide Paws for a Cause hosts ees, 5:30 p.m., housewife? toy drive starts at 7 p.m. at this fundraiser for the 1053 Hwy. 45 4 Which Lady was Queen of England Elise Devun Trotter Convention Center. Columbus-Lowndes Humane South for only nine days? Tickets $25 (VIP tables Kindergarten, Annunciation 5 Which Saint’s day is celebrated on Society from 1-3 p.m. at the Aug. 1: Cale- November 30th? $225) at Columbus Police Animal Clinic of Columbus, donia Board of High Low Department front lobby or 3157 Highway 45 N. Dog Aldermen, 6 88 76 Answers, 8B Columbus Arts Council. For p.m., Town Hall Chance of t-storms baths and “spaw” pedicures information, call 662-251- Sept. 5: Cale- Full forecast on offered. Visit 4pawsfora- 7355 or 662-244-3528. donia Board of page 2A. cause.us.events/html. ■ Cottonboll Crawford Aldermen, 6 Saturday Day Festival: Big Joe p.m., Town Hall ■ Sizzling Second Satur- Shelton and the Black INSIDE day: Columbus’ Hitching Lot Prairie Blues Ambassadors Classifieds8B Dear Abby 7B Farmers’ Market, 7-10 a.m., entertain at this event that Caron Byrd is a mother of Comics 7B Obituaries 5A Second Street and Second begins at 5 p.m. in central two and works at Colum- 138TH YEAR, NO. 99 Crossword 6B Opinions 6A Avenue North, includes a pet Crawford. bus Christian Academy. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2017 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? SAY WHAT? “It is going to be exciting to go back and watch NPR’s Declaration of Independence (volleyball) start again at The W.” MUW alum Samantha (Kreller) Brooks on the tweetstorm confuses some Thursday return of volleyball at the university. Story, 1B. NPR broadcast its annual reading of the declaration for the 29th HOUSAND ORDS straight year on Independence Day A T W THE ASSOCIATED PRESS cused NPR of condoning violence while trying to WASHINGTON — Na- sound patriotic. The user tional Public Radio marked apologized after the mis- the Fourth of July by tweet- understanding was point- ing the entire Declaration ed out. of Independence, but it Another asked if the seems some Twitter users tweet was talking about didn’t recognize what they the U.S. current foreign were reading. agenda, asking if Ameri- The broadcaster tweet- cans were the tyrants. ed out the words of the Others were under the declaration line-by-line impression NPR was try- Tuesday. Some of the ing to provoke Trump with founders’ criticisms of the tweets and praised the King George III were met outlet for doing so. Many, with angry responses recognizing it was the from supporters of Presi- Declaration of Indepen- dent Donald Trump, who dence, said how history is seemed to believe the repeating itself. tweets were a reference to NPR broadcast its an- his presidency. nual reading of the decla- One tweet read, “A ration for the 29th straight Prince whose character is year on Independence thus marked by every act Day. This is the first year which may define a Ty- the tradition has been ex- rant, is unfit to be the ruler tended to Twitter. of a free people.” Spokeswoman Allyssa Another said: “and total- Pollard says the tweets ly unworthy the Head of a were shared by thousands civilized nation.” of people and generated “a A Twitter user ac- lively conversation.” When was the last time you picked up a piece of litter? ABOVE: Elias Boerst, 5, enjoys a fresh fruit ice pop CONTACTING THE DISPATCH as his dad, Uwe Boerst walks behind him during Office hours: Main line: the Farmers’ Market at the n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 Hitching Lot in Columbus Email a letter to the editor? on Saturday morning.